We are proud to say that our most recent event was one of our best events yet. OUT!fest 2015 took place in our back yard: downtown Lafayette, in Tippecanoe County, Indiana, on Saturday, August 1st. Tippy Hemp Company would like to take this opportunity to thank Pride of Lafayette for accepting us and giving an opportunity to present our Healthy, Environmentally-Made Products to the LGBT community of Greater Lafayette. We love all of our customers equally, regardless of gender or orientation. We had a great time sharing our products with everyone.

Saturday brought us perfect festival weather, and it seemed to us that everyone was enjoying themselves, the food, the atmosphere, and especially our HEMP products. We had the chance to enjoy food from Digby’s Pub & Patio, which Samantha and I found ourselves enjoying again the following Wednesday. Of course, we took advantage of their coupon that we acquired during the event. It was 50% off of any appetizer. (The bacon-wrapped fried pickles are delicious, by the way.)

During OUT!fest ’15, we were able to spread the word about Indiana’s pilot hemp field, located at Purdue University. This is a historical event for Hoosiers, and it provides an opportunity for Indiana residents to take the lead in the hemp Industry. The Tippy Hemp Crew is extremely excited for all of us in the Heartland of America, and we hope to see many familiar faces during the field day coming up on August 25, 2015. You must pre-register with Lisa Green at the Purdue Agronomy department by August 19, 2015, to be able to participate in the program. The morning program will be repeated during the afternoon. Please, take advantage of this opportunity and spread the message to farmers, gardeners, and anyone who is interested in hemp. The cost to attend the field day is $20.00. It will be a great opportunity to learn about this fascinating plant.

We were also able to talk to state Senator Shelia Klinker (D). Senator Klinker was also at TippyHemp’s Hemp History Week event, which was held at the Jenks’ Rest Center at Columbian Park in June of this year. We spoke with Senator Karen Tallian (D), as well. Senator Tallian is going to run for Governor of Indiana, if she gets enough signatures to be placed on the ballot. I encourage everyone to reach out and engage with your representatives on the local, state, and federal level to help end the war on this plant. Why is it illegal to grow HEMP when its uses are so diverse?

Regarding hemp’s cousin, cannabis, Senator Tallian has introduced legislation year after year that would legalize, decriminalize, and/or medicinalize cannabis. Her bills have been repeatedly delayed by Senator Mike Young (R) or other republicans at the Statehouse. This paragraph is deserving of its own blog post, so I will stop here. First, one more thing: the now-retired Indiana State Police Superintendent Paul Whitsell told the budget committee that Senator Klinker was on that, in light of Colorado and Washington, he would legalize. Pence was sworn into office the following January, and Mr. Whitsell subsequently retired.

In summary, we would like to extend a huge THANK YOU to all the volunteers, vendors, and to the LGBT community for putting on such a successful event, and we look forward to doing it again next year! We appreciate you giving us the chance of growing out with our community. I also want to thank the people who helped me out during the event. THANK YOU, David Phillips and Samantha Schutz. I appreciate all you do.